Kg model



PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

J. H. HOTSON. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 8, 1903.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Fig.1. 7

WITNESSES WM fi? INVENTOR.

ATTORNEJQR- PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

J. H. HOTSON.

. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. HOTSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 751,855, dated. February9, 1904.

Application filed August 8, 1903.

To all w/wm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. HOTSON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Richmond Hill, in the borough of Queens, city and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-\Vriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of type-writingmachines which have a single keyboard and a shifting mechanism forchanging the relative position of the platen and type in order to allowa capital letter or other selected character to strike theprinting-point and which also have a depressible space key or keyslocated in front of the keyboard.

My invention relates more particularly to such machines as shift theplaten in a substantially horizontal direction in order to allow acapital letter or other selected character to print.

My invention has for its object to increase the ease and speed ofoperating machines of this class by providing for the shift mechanismbeing operated by means of a depressible shift-key located convenientlyclose in front of the space-key of the machine and preferably somewhatlower, so that the said shiftkey can be actuated by a continuation ofthe same downward movement of the thumb (or thumbs) which actuates thespace-key.

My invention is fully disclosed in the following description, and by wayof example its application to a Remington type-writer is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of so muchof the lower part of a type-writing machine as is necessary toillustrate my invention, the position of the type-keys being indicateddiagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the principal operatingparts to which my invention relates, the front of the frame being shownin section. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of the space-bar and shift-bar,showing their preferred relative position when the spacebar is depressedand prior to the depression of the shift-bar. Figs. i, 5, and 6illustrate a modification of my invention.

Serial No, 168,756. (No modeh) 1 represents the frame of a Remingtontypewriter; 2, the type-keys, the position of which is indicateddiagrammatically; 3, the space-bar, and 4: 1 the space-levers on whichit is mounted, the said space-levers being broken off, as their mode ofattachment and connection to the carriage is well known in the art andmy invention does not involve any special construction thereof.

In applying my invention I set the letterkeys 2 farther back on theirlevers in order to make room within the frame of the machine for theshift key or bar 5, which is interposed between the space-bar 3 and thefront of the frame 1. The shift-bar 5 is mounted on the front ends oflever-arms 6 6, fixed by means of brackets 10 to a rock-shaft 7 of whichprojections 7 7 pass through orifices in the lever-arms 6 6 and arepivoted to plates 8 8 at 8 8, which plates are fastened by bolts orscrews 9 to the inner face of the respective side bars of the frame 1.One of the arms 6 is formed with an upwardly-projecting check 6 for thereception of a pivoted link 12, which is threaded to receive the lowerend of a rod 13, pivoted by its upper end at 14 to plate 20, which inturn is pivoted at the point 20 to the L-shaped shift-lever 15 of usualform, which is fulcrumed at 16 and connected at its upper end with thetrack-bar 17, on which runs the concave-faced roller 18, pivoted to theplaten-carriage 19, so as to shift the same back and forth in customarymanner by the oscillating movement of the L-shaped lever 15.

20 represents the customary rocking plate, through the medium of whichthe rod 13 is connected to the lever 15 and by the shifting of which onits pivot 20 to either extremity of its stroke, permitted by themovement of the screw or pin 21 in segment-slot 22 in said plate 20, theline of pull of the rod 13 is changed to either side of thefulcrum-point 16, so that the platen-carriage is held normally at eitherextremity of its backand-forth movement and thrown to the otherextremity of such movement by the depression of the shift-key.

To the rear of the pivot-point 8 8 a weight 11 is fixed to thelever-arms 6 6 for the purpose of counterbalancing wholly or to a largeextent the shift-bar 5 and the portion of its arms 6 6 lying forward ofthe pivot-point.

In the operation of type-writing machines it occurs in a large majorityof instances that the operation of the shift key or bar for the printingof a capital letter or special character is preceded by the operation ofthe spacebar. It will be apparent that the location of the shift key orbar directly in front of and slightly below the space-bar greatlyfacilitates this operation by permitting the depression of the shift-keydirectly after the space-bar by a single stroke or downward movement ofthe thumb. This makes my thumb key or bar arrangement and combination ofthumb shift-bar and space-key greatly superior to one having adepressible thumb shift-bar in front of the letter-keys and space-keysat the sides or one having a horizontally-moving thumb shift-key, theabove-mentioned combination stroke being impossible in either of thesecases.

I prefer to trim off the upper front edge 25 of the space-bar and theupper rear edge 26 of the shift-bar, preferably constructing the saidedge with a convenient rounding in order to obviate the disagreeableeffect that a prominent edge would have upon the thumb while making thetransition from the one to the other and to render the transition itselfmore smooth and easy. As a modification of this convenient rounding ofthe upper front edge of the space-bar and the upper rear edge of theshift-bar I provide in front of the spacebar a roller 23, mounted bypivots at its ends in cheek-plates 24, fixed to the ends of thespace-bar 3, the said space-bar being preferably recessed in its forwardedge to receive the rear side of the said roller, as shown. This rolleris advantageous in. facilitating the passage of the thumb from space-barto shiftbar and also in hindering'the accidental depression of the saidspace-bar by friction of the thumb against itsfront edge when it isintended to depress the shift-bar only.

The location of the shift-key 5 below the level of the space-key 3 hasan important practical advantage in preventing the accidental strikingof one instead of the other.

In order to further faciltate the combined action of the space-bar andthumb shift-key, as well as to facilitate and render more agreeable theseparate operation of space-bar and shift-bar, I prefer to constructeach in such a way that the upper surfaces of the space-bar and shiftbarslope downward toward the front, preferably at an angle of about fifteendegrees. By this arangement the passage of the thumb from the space-barforward to the shift-bar, and thus the operation of both with oneunbroken movement of the thumb, is greatly facilitated. Also the slopingof these bars toward the front enables the thumb to strike them with thefleshy part, the nail being prevented from touching them by the downwardincline of their surface toward the front.

I prefer also to so adjust the relative height of the space-bar andshift-bar that when the space-bar is depressed to its full or normalextent the upper surface of the space-bar and the upper surface of theshift-bar lie substantially in the same plane, the one beingsubstantiallya continuation of the other. By this means the passage ofthe thumb from the space-bar forward to the shift-bar being on asubstantially continuous plane is Very much facilitated.

Having thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States:

1. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard;and a depressible shift-key connected to the shifting mechanism foractuating the same, located conveniently close in front 0; thespace-key, and having its upper surface lower than the upper surface ofthe space-key, and inclined downward toward the front, so that thethumb, after striking the space-key and effecting the space, passesdirectly forward to the shift-key and depresses the same, effecting bothspacing and shifting with substantially one unbroken movement.-

2. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard,and inclined downward toward the front; and a depressible shift-key,connected to the shifting mechanism for actuating the same, locatedconveniently close in front of the space-key, and having its uppersurface lower than the upper surface of the space-key, and inclineddownward toward the front, so that the thumb, after striking thespace-key and efiecting the space, passes directly downward and forwardto the shift-key and depresses the same, effecting both spacing andshifting with substantially one unbroken movement.

3. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard;and a depressible shiftkey, connected to the shifting mechanism foractuating the same, located conveniently close in front of the space-keyand having its upper surface lower than the upper surface of thespace-key; said shift-key so located with respect to the space-key as toheight, that when the space-key is depressed down to its full or normaldepression, the top surface of the space-key shall form substantially acontinuous plane with the top surface of the shift-key.

4. In type;writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard,and inclined downward toward the front; and a depressible shift-key,connected to the shifting mechanism for actuating the same, locatedconveniently close in front of the space-key, and having itsuppersurface lower than the upper surface of the space-key, and inclineddownward toward the front; said shift-key so located with respect to thespace-key as to height, that when the space-key is depressed down to itsfull or normal depression, the top surface of the spacekey shall formsubstantially a continuous plane with the top surface of the shift-key.

5. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard;and a depressible thumb shift-key, connected to the shifting mechanismfor actuating the same, located conveniently close in front of thespace-key, and having its upper side lower than the upper side of thespace-key; the said space-key having its upper front edge trimmed off,substantially as described, so as to facilitate the thumb in gliding offthe space-key onto the shift-key when a capital letter or other selectedcharacter is to be written immediately following a space.

6. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard;and a depressible thumb shift-key connected to the shifting mechanismfor actuating the same, located conveniently close in front of thespace-key, andhaving its upper side lower than the upper side of thespace-key; the shift-key having its upper rear edge trimmed offsubstantially as described, so as to facilitate the transition of thethumb from the space-key onto the shiftkey when a capital letter is tobe written immediately following a space.

7. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard;and a depressible thumb shift key connected to the shifting mechanismfor actuating the same, located conveniently close in front of thespace-key, and having its upper surface lower than the upper surface ofthe space-key; the space-key having its upper front edge trimmed offsubstantially as described, and the shift-key having its upper rear edgerounded, so as to facilitate the transition of the thumb from thespace-key to the shift-key when a capital letter or other selectedcharacter is to be written immediately following a space.

8. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected character to strike the printing-point; thecombination of a depressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard,and inclined downward toward the front; and a depressible shift-keyconnected to the shifting mechanism for actuating the same, locatedconveniently close in front of the space-key, and having its uppersurface lower than the upper surface of the space-key, and inclineddownward toward the front, so that the thumb, after striking thespace-key and effecting the space, passes directly downward and forwardto the shift-key and depresses the same, effecting both spacing andshifting with substantially one unbroken movement; the space-key havingits upper front edge trimmed off substantially as described,'and theshift-key having its upper rear edge trimmed off substantially asdescribed, so as to facilitate the transition of the thumb from thespace-key onto the shiftkey when a capital letter or other selectedcharacter is to be written immediately following a space.

9. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a shiftingmechanism for changing the relative position of the platen and the typein order to allow a selected characterto strike the printing-point; th'ecombination of adepressible space-key lying in front of the keyboard,and inclined downward toward the front, and a depressible shift-key,connected to the shifting mechanism for actuating the same, locatedconveniently close in front of the space-key, and having its uppersurface lower than the upper surface of the space-key, and inclineddownward toward the front, said shift-key so located with respect to thespace-key as to height, that when the space-key is depressed down to itsfull or normal depression, the top surface of the spacekey shall formsubstantially a continuous plane with the top surface of the shift-key;the spacekey having its upper front edge trimmed off substantially asdescribed, and the shift-key having its upper rear edge trimmed offsubstantially as described, so as to facilitate the transition of thethumb from the space-key to the shift-key when a capital letter or otherselected character is to be written immediately following a space.

10. In type-writing machines which have a single keyboard and a platenwhich is shifted in a substantially horizontal direction for the purposeof enabling a capital letter or other selected character to strike theprinting-point; in combination with a depressible space-key located infront of the keyboard; a downwardly-depressible thumb shift-key,connected with the platen for shifting the same, centrally locatedconveniently close and entirely in front of the space-key, and withinconvenient range of, and adapted to be operated by downward pressure of,the thumbs in such a way that the thumb after depressing the spacekeycan pass directly forward to the shift-key and depress the same, whilethe fingers retain their normal position over the keyboard, such as iscustomary in touch operating.

11. In type-writing machines having a single keyboard and a platen whichis shifted in a substantially horizontal direction for the purpose ofenabling a capital letter or other selected character to strike theprinting-point; in combination with a depressible space-key lying infront of the keyboard; a depressible shift-key connected with the platenfor shifting the same, located conveniently close in front of thespace-key and having its upper side lower than the upper side of thespacekey, so as to hinder striking one for the other, and so that thethumb or finger of the operator, after striking the space-key andeffecting the space, passes directly downward and forward to theshift-key and depresses the same, effecting both spacing and shiftingwith substantially one unbroken movement.

12. In type-writing machines which shift the platen in a substantiallyhorizontal direction in order to print a capital letter or otherselected character; the combination of a depressible space-key lying infront of the keyboard, and a downwardly-depressible shiftkey connectedto the platen, the downward depression of which shift-key effects theshifting of the platen, and lying conveniently close in front of thespace-key, so that the thumb or finger of the operator, after strikingthe space-key and effecting the space, passes directly forward to theshift-key and depresses the same, with a substantially uninterruptedmovement.

13. In type-writing machines which shift the platen in order to print aselected character; in combination with adepressible spacekey located infront of the keyboard, adownwardly-depressible shift-key locatedcentrally, and conveniently close and entirely in front of the spacekey,and constituting the front side of a rigid frame pivotally connected tothe frame of the machine and connected to the platen in such a way thatthe depression of the shift-key causes the shifting of the platen, forthe purpose of printing a selected character, and lying withinconvenient range of, and adapted to be operated by downward pressure of,the thumbs, -in such a way that the thumb after depressing the space-keycan pass directly forward to the shift-key and depress the same whilethe fingers retain their normal position over the keyboard customary intouch operating.

14. In type-writing machines which shift the platen in order to print aselected character; the combination of a depressible spacekey located infront of the keyboard; and a depressible shift-key constituting thefront side of a rigid frame pivotally connected to the frame of themachine and connected to the platen in such a way that the depression ofthe shift-key causes the shifting of the platen for the purpose ofwriting a selected character, and located in front of ,the space-key andhaving its upper side lower than the upper side of the space-key, so asto hinder striking the one for the other, and so that the thumb orfinger of the operator, after striking the space-key and effecting thespace, passes directly forward to the shift-key and depresses the same,effecting both spacing and shifting with substantially one unbrokenmovement.

JOHN H. HOTSON.

WVitnesses:

\VM. P. HAMMOND, P. FRANK SMITH.

